


Without Means

by tanyart



Category: Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 15:19:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2552306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tanyart/pseuds/tanyart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Mercy of Kalr and Breq and their version of hanging out together off-duty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without Means

**Author's Note:**

> Took some liberties with ship functions, spoilers for Ancillary Sword.

Sometimes the Fleet Captain would speak to her empty room, sitting in top of her bunk, calm voice echoing against the wall.  The first time it happened,  _Mercy of Kalr_  nearly interrupted, but it was only a split second of hesitation before  _Mercy of Kalr_  decided to remain silent—because the Fleet Captain had not called for the ship, and  _Mercy of Kalr_  did not sense Breq in want of anything at all, except for maybe peace and quiet.

So  _Mercy of Kalr_  only watched, vaguely, in the way a ship would watch everything while not particularly concentrating all its attention to it.  This continued on for a few days in the lull of the Fleet Captain’s free hours.  Occasionally Fleet Captain Breq would sing instead in her usual habit, and that was not unusual at all.

 _Mercy of Kalr_  did not have a sense for much embarrassment.  It wouldn’t do a ship any good if it always felt uncomfortable knowing every move of its occupants, but when Fleet Captain Breq spoke alone in her room,  _Mercy of Kalr_ tended to… dull the awareness of it.  Because, when Fleet Captain Breq spoke alone in her room, she spoke in the language of codes and data strands, of numbers and verses that ought not to have sound, but she managed it well enough for her one body of one mouth.

A few times, Breq attempted to say her own name— _Justice of Toren_ —just as if she was introducing herself to another ship.  She only got so far before her throat closed up and she ran out of breath, garbled syllables dying awkwardly. 

And that…  _Mercy of Kalr_  had to acknowledge it as a very private act, awkward to hear it spoken aloud, and even more so when _Justice of Toren_  stuttered to an wistful halt midway.

“I still think in data, not Radchaai,” admitted Fleet Captain Breq, no longer to an empty room. “It is a little frustrating at times.”

“It can be a bit tiresome, communicating by sight or sound,” replied  _Mercy of Kalr_ , recalling the days when the ship had ancillaries. And even  _Mercy of Kalr_ could relate a little to how a ship might miss being able to communicate within itself.  It didn’t feel so lonely that way, silently transferring information with hundreds of other segments.

The Fleet Captain’s response was subtle, but her body readings suggested amusement, even with that wistfulness. “And maintaining proper expressions is cumbersome.  A real learning curve.”

 _Mercy of Kalr_  sent a piece of code to blink in Fleet Captain Breq’s vision.  A very simple ship’s version of a smile, easy enough to read for human eyes.  “It’s not that hard.”

Breq let out a breath, one corner of her mouth involuntarily hitching upward. 

“ _Ship_ ,” she said, and even though she was already smiling— _Mercy of Kalr_ suspected she might’ve not noticed it already showing—Breq opened her mouth to repeat back the code, verbal:

> _:-)_


End file.
